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28 January 2013

Summer Projects: Sun Dried Tomatoes at Home

If you live in Bangalore, like me, then you've been subjected to crazy weather so far this year. 14 C mornings and 30 C afternoons, with cool evening breezes and romping dust clouds. Of course, that's not as crazy as crazy weather can get, but I dare say that this is as crazy as Bangalore weather can get.

Not including the random rain of hail we had last year. Either ways, while I name this post Summer Projects, it's not really summer here yet. But don't let that stop you, we have enough sun this year to capitalize early.

I made some sun dried tomatoes two weeks ago, then, tomatoes were retailing at Rs 6 per kg at the local market in Banaswadi and I was trying to re-create this meal I had in the Philippines, that was delicious.
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The first part of it was to get the specific herbs, which I did, in Namdharis. Then it's as simple as evenly slicing the tomatoes into rounds, sprinkling some salt and chopped herbs onto the bed, drizzling some olive oil over and leaving it in the sun for about a week . Also, it would be good for you to cover the tomatoes left in the sun, with some gauze or I used a sift plate. You know those round things that we use to sift flour, before making chapathis.. I tried to find a picture online.. but I don't know what to call it!

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Smaller jar with tomatoes jam packed

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the dried version. What I did do after they were dry (they need to be dry, but not crispy), was to:

Sterilize an air tight glass jar by boiling the jar and lid in water for about 5 minutes

Add a layer of dried basil (left in the sun for 2 days to dry), then 2 layers of dried tomatoes, a layer of dried rosemary (left in the sun for 2 days to dry as well).

Then add olive oil to cover the layers and continue to layer, till the jar is filled or the tomatoes have run out

ME

I am a woman of three cultures, straddling modernity, striving to accept tradition in the name of preserving culture and ultimately, loosing the battle by not getting anywhere~these should be apparent as you read my posts :)